dittybopper:Girion47: And the people without AWD trying to make it sound inferior just get more and more ridiculous.

It's not inferior. It does convey an actual advantage in starting moving, and in things like going up very slippery hills, and you are less likely, all other things being equal, to get stuck.

The problem is that people being people, they tend to drive a bit faster because they feel they have more control, and *THAT* is when they get into trouble. They don't drive for the conditions, not understanding that while they have a bit more traction and are able to go forward easier, the amount of lateral and braking traction they have is exactly the same as with a 2WD car.

The general theory behind that kind of behavior is called risk compensation or risk homeostasis.

This isn't a discussion of drivers though, we're specifically talking about the AWD system. driver-confidence doesn't belong in this conversation.

Dalek Caan's doomed mistress:I hate people who think AWD means they're immune to ice. You can always tell who doesn't know what the fark they're doing when it starts snowing and there's a layer of ice on the road. There's more to winter driving than just have four tires spinning at the same time.

I love snowy days. The drive to work is amusing. So many crashed suvs. Suvs stuck. Suv's spun out. Big four wheel drive giant pickups stuck. There should be a cheezeburger site about crashed 4wds.